Texas primary runoffs postponed until July due to coronavirus
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday he would push back the state’s primary runoffs from May 26 until July 14, joining a growing number of states postponing elections due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The move prolongs primary campaigns in a slew of competitive congressional races, including the Democratic contest to pick a challenger to three-term Republican Sen. John Cornyn. With no candidate receiving more than 50 percent of the vote in the state’s March 3 primary, the top two candidates, Democrats MJ Hegar and Royce West, advanced to the runoff.
Of the nine House races in Texas that Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates as a competitive, five feature primary runoffs.
Earlier Friday, the Texas Democratic Party filed a lawsuit seeking to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail-in ballot. The party argued that because mail-in ballots are already available for disabled voters, others concerned about the virus should also be able to receive them.
“We must do everything we can to guarantee access to the ballot box for individuals who are practicing social distancing and self-quarantining,” said state party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa. “Current law says you can vote-by-mail if you are disabled and we believe COVID-19 puts the health of all of us at risk. This lawsuit will allow any person who does not want to risk their health or that of their family’s during this coronavirus pandemic to vote by mail.”
https://www.rollcall.com/2020/03/20/texas-primary-runoffs-postponed-until-july-due-to-coronavirus/